Vermonters shine at New England track and field meet

Mount Mansfield's Alec Eschholz leaps over the hurdles during the 300m hurdles event during the 42nd annual Burlington Invitational track and field meet at Burlington High School on Saturday May 10, 2014 in Burlington, Vermont.(Photo: BRIAN JENKINS/For the Free Press)

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- A bevy of Vermont track and field standouts shined – from state records to high finishes – at Saturday's 69th annual New England championships at Bridgewater University.

Mount Mansfield's Alec Eschhholz raced to first place in the 300 hurdles (38.54 seconds) and took third in the 110 hurdles (14.68), one of nine Vermonters to seize top-six finishes at the regional competition.

Four Vermont overall state records fell, including Burlington's Makahill Abdinoor in the boys 200 (22.05), Peoples' Hannah Merriam in the girls 200 (24.94) and Essex's Kyle Baker in pole vault (14-9). Merriam and Baker each took second in their events while Abdinoor finished sixth.

The fourth record was the Seahorses' 4-by-400-meter relay, which finished 10th overall and lowered their own mark they set last month to 3:25.46.

And Merriam also set a new D-III record in the 100 (12.32) to nab sixth in the sprint.

Champlain Valley's Autumn Eastman grabbed runner-up in the 3,200 (10:36.16) while South Burlington's Sidi Abdoulaye also placed second in the same event in the boys race (9:23.03).

South Burlington's Kayla Gilding took fourth in long jump (17-5.5) and fifth in the 400 (57.86).

Other Vermonters who fared well: Burlington's Tobias Muellers (fourth in the 400, 50.46), South Burlington's Caleb Kasupski (fourth in long jump, 21-6) and Essex's Katherine Furland (seventh in the 100 hurdles, 15.58).